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The Rise of Social Media: What Comes Next?

Social media usage has been steadily increasing over the years according to PewResearch. Social media has effects on people’s behaviors and beliefs, with Facebook users more likely to be politically active and more trusting (PewResearch). Of course, with social media at an all-time high it’s impossible to see an end. That is something society will have to come to terms with. Social media has given us all a taste of life with no limitations- at least concerning social boundaries and information. With access to so many intimate details in one another’s lives it is highly unlikely that social media, in some shape or form, will die out. Social media has revolutionized the internet and our perceptions. It has shaped popular culture as well as the lives of the younger generations. They are so used to a life where pictures can be shared at the click of a button that it would be impossible to go back to a world without so much public access.

Social media can be a positive tool and it can be a negative tool. It can connect us to loved ones and the rest of the world, but it can isolate us in it’s pursuit to connect us through technology. Social media is ultimately dependent upon us. It is humanity that shapes social media. Without our consent and without our willingness to feed into the temptation of sharing every detail of our lives social media would cease to exist.

We control what we put on the internet. We control what we share. The only thing we can do is to take that privilege and to use it responsibly. We have made Instagram synonymous with selfie, and Twitter synonymous with hashtag. We have created the same trends that we despise and criticize. If we take caution to only share what we need to, to only interact with those we know and to learn from the articles and videos we share online then social media can be a positive tool. It can be a resource for jobs, relationships and other areas of our lives. It is only when we abuse the power of accessibility that social media becomes a dangerous force.